Amusement device.



J. M. WEST.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 12. 1915.

Patented Nov. 16, 1915.

Z0 Z6 l fj Attor COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO-IWASHIN aaaaaaa c.

JOSEPH 1VL WEST, OF ROOKPORT, MISSOURI.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 16, 1915.

Application filed March 12, 1915. Serial No. 14,001. i

citizen of the United States, residing at Rockport, in the county of Atchison and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Amusement Device, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to amusement devices and is more especially an improvement upon the structure disclosed in Patent No. 1,079,678, issued to me on November 25, 1913.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a broad alley for the return of balls 1 1 to the user after they have been thrown at a target, the said alley being provided with a plurality of outlet openings any one of. which is adapted to receive the balls, whereby the score can be varied according to the direction of movement taken by the ball during its return. I

A further object is to provide a target made up of'radially disposed paddles or fingers of novel constructlon so mounted as to be held yieldingly in either active or inactive position.

A. further object is to provide paddles or fingers so shaped as to cause the ball or other thrown objectto rebound inany one of a number of directions so that it thus becomes'a diflicult matter to so throw the ball as to cause it to return by way of a selected opening in the alley.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention hereindisclosed, can be made within the scope of what is claimed, with out departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawingsz-Figure l is aplan view of the amusement device, parts being broken away. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section through the rear or target end of the device. Fig.3 is a front elevation of the target. Fig. 4 is an enlarged section through the outer end portion of one of the fingers or paddles of the target and the adjacent parts, one of the positions of i said finger or paddle being indicated by coiled dotted lines. Fig. of the outer end paddles.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates a broad alley having a smooth top surface and formed in this alley at any desired distance from the front end thereof, is a series of openings 2 extending entirely across the alley, said series being preferably substantially V-shaped. Each opening is in communication with one end of a tube 3, the several tubes employed being extended toward the front end of the 5 is a perspective view portlon of one of the alley, so that should a ball pass off of the alley into any one of the openings 2 it will travel along the tube in communication with said opening and be delivered to the user standing at the front end of the'alley. Each of these openings can be designated by a numeral, these numerals indicatingdifferent values which can be added to or subtracted from the score, according to the way in which the game is to be played.

Supported above the back end of the alley is a hood or cage 4: in the front end of which is arranged a ring 5. A guard or shield 6 preferably formed of a metal fabric is erected above the alley and in front ofthe ring 5, the walls of this guard or shield preferably converging rearwardly as shown. Hingedly mounted within the ring 5 are paddles 7 converging toward the center of the ring. Each. of these paddles is preferably formed of sheet metal and is in the form of a hollow cone. Each of these cones is provided with a "slot 8 extending into the outer end portion thereof at the back and hinge members 9 are arranged at the sides of each slot and are connected to the ring 5.

The paddles 7 are normally positioned as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 and the large ends of the paddles when in these positions extend over openings 10 formed in the ring 5. Through each of these openings extends a spring 11, one end of which is attached to a bracket 12 secured to the outer side of the ring while the other end of the spring is secured to the adjacent paddle 7 close to the inner end wall of the slot 8 within said paddle. As shown particularly in Fig. at, when the paddle 7 is in its normal or active position, the spring 11 pulls thereon along a line extending in front of the hinge 9 so that the paddle is thus held in active position. hen, however, the paddle is moved backwardly a short distance sufiicient tocause the spring to pass the hinge 9, the said spring will swing the paddle quickly to its rearward or inactive position as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4.

I A guide rail 13.is arranged within the cage 1 and extends rearw'ardly from the ring 5 and on this rail is a slide 14 having a standard 15 connected by diverging arms 16 to a setting ring 17 normally backof and concentric with the ring 5. Standard 15 is connected by a link 18 to one end of a lever 19 fulcrumed below the cage 4: and a spring 20 connected to this lever 19 serves to hold the setting ring 17 normally in position to be contactedby the small end portions of the paddles 7 when said paddles are shifted backwardly out of their active positions. An actuating rod 21 extends forwardly from lever-19 and is connected to a setting lever 22 which is within convenient reach of the player.

.Each of the paddles 7 can be givena predetermined value. In playing the game, a ball is thrown in an attempt to strikeone of the paddles 7 and thus cause it 'to swing rearwardly against the setting ring 17.

' After the ball has been thrown it will pass through the ring 5 and into the cage 1 and then drop ontotherear portion of the alley 1, As this alley is inclined downwardly to-.

ward its front end, the ball will return along the alley and possibly enter one of the openings 2. Should it enter one of these openings, the amount represented by the opening can either be added to or subtracted from the score, according to the way in which the game is being, played. When it is desired to reset the paddles 7, it is merely necessary to pull forwardly on lever 22 whereupon lever 19' will thrust the slide 1 1 forwardly V and cause ring 17 to push against the paddles 7 and restore them to their normal or v active positions.

What. is claimed is 1. An amusement device including a ringlike member, a plurality oftargets hingedly mounted therein and adapted, when in active position, to converge toward the center of the said member, a cage for receiving missiles directed at the target, a broad returning alley for receiving the missiles from the cage, there being openings within the Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Washington, D. 0.

' alley for receiving the missiles while returning along the alley and returning means in communication with the openings.

2. An amusement device including a ringlike member, a plurality of targets hingedly mounted therein and adapted, when in active position, to converge toward the center of the saidmember, a cage for receiving missiles directed at the target, a broad returning alley for receiving the missiles from the cage, said alley having a plurality of openings for the reception of the missiles during their return along the alley, there being spaces between the openings for the passage of the missiles, and a tubular member under the alley and extending from each of the openings.

3. An amusement device including a cage, a plurality of radially disposed targets supported adjacent the front end of the cage, an alley inclined downwardly and forwardly from the bottom portion of the cage, there being a series of openings within the alley and extending transversely thereof, said openings being spaced apart to permit the passage of missiles therebetween, and means communicating with each of the openings and extending under the alley for returning to the player any missile entering the openings.

4. An amusement device including a cage, a target mounted in front of the cage and including inwardly converging hinged members, said cage being adapted to receive missiles directed at the target, an alley inclined downwardly and forwardly from the lower portion of the cage, there being a series of openings within the alley and extending transversely thereof for the reception of missiles returning to the player, there being spaces between the openings to permit the passage of the missiles, and means under the alley for delivering to the player any missiles entering any of the openings.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH M. WEST.

Commissioner of Patents, 

